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Appendix Three - A Summary of the Survey Results
A full compilation of the survey returns is available on request from Greg Brown.
The survey of school boards produced 226 returns and the survey of PTAs in membership of SPTC produced 50 returns.
- Rate of returns, approx 3% from SPTC members and 8% from school boards. Fairly low interest in national body but relatively greater among school boards than PTAs.
- In general, being from a school board background or a PTA background played little part in how respondents answered the questions. (Put another way, school board and PTA respondents had similar views on the questions).
- Among respondents, almost universal agreement to the need for a national body in the future.
- Very limited support (14%) for either current national body going on to develop their role as a national body on their own.
- Majority support for SPTC and SSBA finding a way to come together to form one national body for the future (58%). This was also the percentage in each of the surveys.
- A quarter of respondents preferred to see the formation of an entirely new national parent body, with all actively interested parents invited to take part in forming it.
- Almost universal support for Parent Councils being eligible for membership of a national body, with almost as much support for PTAs also being eligible. Mixed views about other school based activity groups being eligible for membership.
- Strong minority support for each of local authorities (47%) and national organisations with a role in education (46%) being eligible for membership, with additional comments suggesting that their role would be advisory/supporting rather than decision making.
- Fairly low levels of support for other interested individuals to be eligible for membership, but a wide range of views expressed about this and a wide range of others suggested.
- Low levels of support for a "parents only" governing body, but almost universal support for parents forming a majority. By far the most favoured option (72%) for governing board composition was "A majority of parents, with some school staff and key figures in education at national level". Only 4% chose "A majority of parents with key figures in education at national level".
- A wide range of others have been suggested for inclusion in a governing board by a relatively small minority of respondents.
- A majority of respondents felt on the whole that both existing national organisations performed well ( PTA survey term used) or effectively (school board survey term used). However, views were mixed and many were unsure, especially with regard to advice and information services to individual parents.
- A wide range of examples of appreciated services were listed. Being kept informed and getting information and advice about legislation and national educational matters was widely appreciated, including on recent developments in parental involvement.
- Almost universal support was shown for both representation and support being roles for a national body. Opinion was equally divided between those respondents who regarded a national body's representational role as most important and those who regarded support to local parents' organisations as most important. Two thirds support was registered for national body's role to include advice and information to individual parents, with others were unsure or opposed to this role. The surveys did not attempt to tease out the scale of role which should be established on this.
- Many additional comments were received on matters not directly raised in the questions. Common among them were preferences for a body to be non-political and properly representative of parent opinion. Some specifically expected parent views to be canvassed before being represented. Many other comments would be of interest to those in leading positions in a national body with regard to how it approaches its work and communicates with members.
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